Fiber Optics
Lumos to build 2,000 miles of fiber optic network in Ohio with $230 million investment
Lumos announced its expansion into the state of Ohio with a $230 million investment to build nearly 2,000 miles of its 100% Fiber Optic network, providing homes and small businesses in Mahoning and Trumbull County with access to life-changing internet.
T-Mobile to expand fiber broadband infrastructure footprint with $4.9 billion Metronet acquisition
T-Mobile will have full responsibility for residential customer acquisition and support, leveraging its differentiated retail, marketing, brand and service model, and will utilize Metronet’s deep digital and fiber infrastructure expertise to expand to more households with fiber broadband services. Metronet will focus on build plans, network engineering and design, network deployment, and customer installation.
GoNetspeed connects over 4,800 customers to fiber optic network in Massachusetts
Through this deployment, Ludlow is the second Massachusetts community that is equipped with GoNetspeed’s high-speed internet access, providing access to 100% fiber internet to more than 4,800 homes and businesses.
Bluebonnet Fiber, USDA partner to expand underground broadband infrastructure in South Texas
Bluebonnet Fiber has announced a new partnership with USDA to complete pre-construction efforts for the installation of underground fiber optic cables to expand broadband access in Duval, Frio, Jim Hogg, La Salle, and Zavala counties.
Kinetic to bury over five miles of fiber optic infrastructure following devastating Iowa tornado
This investment will add to the already existing 10,600 ft (about 2 miles) of Kinetic fiber optic cable in the area. Kinetic's Iowa-based fiber network, about 12,400 miles, is 16 times larger than the total length of Iowa's 782 miles of federal interstates.
Maine to expand fiber broadband workforce with Fiber Broadband Association’s OpTIC Path program
The course will train the skilled fiber technicians needed to expand local networks and connect Maine communities to high-performance fiber broadband services. The OpTIC Path program also delivers important opportunities to graduates, enabling them to enter a professional industry with long-term value.
Metronet to fund Loves Park, Ill., fiber optic network with $9 million investment
Construction activities began earlier this month, with the first customers beginning to receive service this fall. Metronet vehicles will be seen around the city, installing fiber-optic cable on telephone poles and underground.
Fiber Broadband Association advocates for retiring copper in favor of future-proof fiber
FBA's new white paper argues that many telecommunications providers still face unnecessary expenses and complexity by maintaining legacy copper infrastructure, despite having migrated to fiber in core and access networks.
Editor’s log: Waiting on the storms
By the end of 2024, somewhere between $80 and $100 billion will have been dished out to cities, power utilities, fiber companies and miscellaneous entities to solve a fraction of America’s underground infrastructure needs.
Ripple Fiber to expand fiber optic network to 45,000 residents in North Carolina
Residents across multiple municipalities in the area now or will soon have access to the provider’s 10GB-ready fiber internet network: Waxhaw, Wesley Chapel, Monroe, Sun Valley, Indian Trail, Weddington, Lake Park, and Stallings.
Telecom industry predicts boost in fiber optic networks to support growing AI, global study shows
A key theme from the study is the opinion that AI will enhance network performance. To achieve this, participants believe new solutions across fiber network infrastructure and operations will be required. In fact, 99% respondents believe they will need to upgrade fiber-optic networks to support more AI traffic.
Google to invest $1 billion in Hawaiʻi's subsea internet infrastructure with new fiber-optic cables
Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, leader of Connect Kākou, Hawaiʻi’s high-speed internet initiative, and Benji Robinson, Asia Pacific director for Google, unveiled plans for the construction of a $1 billion project to create new fiber-optic internet subsea cables.
HyperFiber launches fiber-optic internet service in Port Charlotte, Fla.
HyperFiber, an independent fiber internet provider, has launched its gigabit-speed services in Port Charlotte, Florida, offering reliable connectivity to over 31,000 homes in the area.
Lowndes County, Ga., to bring fiber internet to 16,000 locations with $39 million public private partnership
Construction has already started and is expected to provide multi-gig internet speeds to eligible homes and businesses across the counties. This project will be critical in providing high-speed internet to underserved and unserved residents in the counties.
Meridiam breaks ground on “historic” fiber optic infrastructure investment in Memphis, Tenn.
Blue Suede Networks, a Memphis-based fiber-to-the-premises network developer owned and financed by Meridiam, is contracted to develop, build, finance, and manage a high-speed fiber-optic network that will pass at least 85% of business and residential premises throughout the city.
T-Mobile to invest $950 million in fiber optic joint venture with EQT to acquire Lumos
The next capital contribution by T-Mobile out of an additional commitment of approximately $500 million is anticipated between 2027 and 2028. These combined investments are expected to allow Lumos to reach 3.5 million homes by the end of 2028.
Editor’s Log: And the smiles never stopped
In late March, UI wrapped another successful Underground Infrastructure Conference. Per usual, a wealth of information and market intelligence was gathered from remarkable speakers and experts in a variety of fields including sewer installation and rehabilitation, fiber optics, power, horizontal directional drilling, and safety.
Zayo Group upgrades critical fiber broadband infrastructure across the country
Zayo Group announced its latest round of critical infrastructure upgrades, including its newest long-haul dark fiber route connecting Columbus to Pittsburgh and a highly sought-after 400G-enabled wavelength route connecting Washington, D.C. and Atlanta.
Frontier to expand fiber broadband network to rural Illinois with $25 million grant
Frontier, the largest pure-play fiber provider in the U.S, received $24.7 million in grant funding to expand high-speed fiber broadband service to homes and businesses in rural Illinois. The grant was awarded by Connect Illinois with the assistance of Greene County Economic Development Group.
Kinetic adds 20 miles of fiber broadband network in Pennsylvania
More than 1,220 homes, businesses and schools in Beaver County now have access to Kinetic fiber, local officials and Kinetic representatives said.
Lumos breaks ground on fiber optic network expansion in South Carolina
Lumos ground in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, OneSpartanburg. With this expansion, thousands of homes and small businesses in Upstate S.C. will have access to Lumos' ultra-fast internet.
Fastwyre Broadband invests $65 million to upgrade fiber optic network in Eastern Nebraska
Fastwyre Broadband is making significant investments to upgrade its fiber-optic network in Eastern Nebraska, promising faster internet speeds and enhanced connectivity for underserved communities in the region.
Fiber infrastructure has no known expiration date, Fiber Broadband Association research concludes
The Fiber Broadband Association’s Technology Committee has published its “Fiber Broadband Scalability and Longevity” white paper — the latest FBA research that explains optical fiber is the only communications medium that can support both existing and future applications for many decades with no infrastructure changes.
Rehab News
Ellison Mills Contracting, a leading Southern Arizona’s heavy civil construction firm, has joined the ranks of certified Reline America installers; Vortex Technology Group LLC received WRc-Approved certification for its VeriCure Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) monitoring system.
SONATRACH and Huawei launch smart fiber sensing solution for oil and gas pipelines
Utilizing Huawei's optical fiber sensing solution and live-network service management process, the smart pipeline inspection system detects external disturbances around pipelines by capturing vibration data through accompanying optical fibers.
ALM fiber-monitoring solution detects faults in Kentucky fiber broadband network
The system acts like a radar that continuously scans fiber optic cables to pinpoint the location of issues such as attenuation, water damage and breaks.
Meridiam breaks ground on $230 million, 300-mile fiber optic network in rural Alabama
The firm will develop, build, finance, and manage a high-speed fiber-optic network that, upon completion, will enable fiber broadband to 53,000 households and businesses across more than 300 miles.
Blue Mountain Networks completes significant fiber optic infrastructure expansion in Oregon
The project involves laying hundreds of miles of new, underground fiber optic cables throughout Umatilla County. This development is expected to have a transformative impact on the area, enabling advancements in various sectors including education, healthcare, and local businesses.
Over $770 million allocated for rural infrastructure projects, including water and internet upgrades
A significant portion of the funding, $644.2 million, is dedicated to bolstering rural utilities, enabling 158 projects to provide clean drinking water and wastewater systems for over 900,000 individuals.
Bluebird Network completes 3,500 ft. underground fiber optic crossing beneath Mississippi River
The pivotal 3,500-ft underground fiber optic river crossing enhances route diversity and redundancy for Midwest enterprises while respecting historical preservation.
- Deadline to submit abstracts for Underground Infrastructure Conference's 30th anniversary education program extended to July 19
- Drilling under the LSU campus
- OSHA investigation launched after worker found unconscious in Kansas City, Mo., sewer pipe
- 26th annual directional drilling survey: More fuel on the fire
- Restoring power to Minnesota’s northwest angle
- Vermeer Debuts New Horizontal Directional Drill
- Sewer maintenance: Myth-busting, best-practice training
- Berkeley pushes PG&E to bury power lines to mitigate wildfire risk
- Houston faces hurdles in transitioning to underground power lines amid severe weather concerns
- Calgary declares state of emergency over water pipeline repairs